AI Research Skills Workshop Videos Now Available

Last fall the WashU Libraries offered a workshop series called Future-Ready Scholars: Generative AI in Library Research. The workshop series was an outcome of a very successful workshop the year before that the Libraries offered that introduced Generative AI. The Libraries worked over the summer to develop the workshop series that could be offered to students, faculty, and staff.

Generative AI is used by many people in different aspects of their lives, but the Libraries wanted to focus on students understanding how they could successfully utilize Generative AI in their coursework.

The following workshops were offered and are now available for viewing on the WashU Libraries YouTube channel:

• Level Up Your Research Game: An Introduction to Generative AI: This session delves into the world of generative AI, where students learn how to leverage this powerful tool to streamline the research process and find relevant sources.

• Artificial Intelligence Tools to Optimize and Advance Your Research: Explores how AI can streamline your library research. This workshop offers practical guidance and hands-on practice in using AI tools, discussing their benefits and challenges in research workflows.

• Prompt Power: Using CLEAR Strategies for Effective GenAI Results: Discover how to get the most out of generative AI tools like ChatGPT using the CLEAR prompt framework. In this hands-on session, you’ll learn how to craft purposeful, targeted prompts that improve AI output for research, instruction, and everyday library work. Whether you’re new to AI or looking to refine your approach, this workshop will give you practical strategies to write prompts that are Clear, Logical, Explicit, Adaptive, and Reflective.

• Research Like a Pro: Verifying AI-Generated Content: While navigating the complexities of academic research, ensuring the accuracy and credibility of AI-generated data is quickly emerging as an essential research skill. This session will demonstrate practical strategies for cross-referencing AI content with reputable sources, highlight the importance of human oversight, and provide tips for developing critical evaluation skills. Leave equipped with the tools to assess and use AI-generated information in your scholarly work. 

• Citation, Attribution, and AI: Disclosing AI Use in Research: Major citation styles have provided guidance on citing artificial intelligence, and publishers and organizations are also requiring a narrative explanation of the use of AI. Join us in this session to learn more about citing and disclosing AI-generated information, data, and images in your academic research.

If you have any questions about what was covered in the workshops, please reach out to the Libraries or to the librarian(s) who presented the workshop.

The Libraries is currently working on a new AI workshop series for fall 2026, which will run the week of September 21, 2026. If you have ideas about what you would like to have included in the next workshop series, please contact Theresa Mastrodonato, tmastrodonato@wustl.edu.